No county roles handed over to national government, Sakaja says

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja/FILE

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has refuted a report that the county has ceded some roles to the national government.

Reports had indicated that the county has handed over some functions to the national government in a similar way as in 2020 when Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) was established to take over some roles.

“Fake news. No functions or roles ceded,” Sakaja posted on social media after news reports of a deal between the county and national government surfaced.

Soon after the media started to report about the deal, Nairobi senator Edwin Sifuna cast doubts about the pact.

“Constitutionally there has to be a deed of transfer of functions. It has to be approved by the county assembly. I have seen neither,” Sifuna said.

Reports had indicated that Sakaja and President Ruto had formally agreed on shared responsibility formula for managing critical departments in the capital

The deal, said to have been sealed at State House, Nairobi would see the national government handle garbage collection and disposal

Also public works, road construction and water collection and supply functions taken by the national government

NMS was a government entity established in 2020 to take over key functions of Nairobi City County in an effort to restore order and improve service delivery in the capital.

Its formation marked one of the most dramatic governance shifts in Kenya’s recent urban administration history.

NMS came about following persistent challenges at City Hall, including leadership wrangles, corruption allegations, financial mismanagement, and deteriorating service delivery.

At the time, Nairobi residents faced chronic problems ranging from uncollected garbage and poor road conditions to unreliable health services.

The national government argued that the situation had reached a crisis point requiring urgent intervention.

On February 25, 2020, then-President Uhuru Kenyatta and then-Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko signed a deed of transfer at State House. The agreement handed over four key county functions to the national government.

These were health services, transport, public works and utilities, and planning and development. The transfer was later approved by the Nairobi County Assembly and Parliament, paving the way for the creation of NMS under the Office of the President.

Major General Mohamed Badi of the Kenya Defence Forces was appointed as the Director-General of NMS.

His appointment signaled the national government’s intention to run the entity with a disciplined, results-driven approach.

NMS was tasked with fixing roads, improving drainage, restoring street lighting, streamlining urban planning approvals, upgrading health facilities, and improving solid waste management.

During its tenure, NMS oversaw the rehabilitation of several major roads, installation of new streetlights, refurbishment of health centres, and expansion of intensive care capacity during the Covid-19 pandemic.

It also undertook market upgrades and worked on decongesting parts of the city. Supporters credited it with restoring a measure of order and accelerating stalled infrastructure projects.

NMS operated until the 2022 general election period, after which the transferred functions were gradually reverted to the Nairobi County Government under the new administration.